Analyse a cold email
How it works
Split the copy
Merge tags like {{firstName}} are replaced with sample values so they count as words, then the body is split into paragraphs, sentences and words.
Measure reading load
Syllables are counted per word for Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch–Kincaid grade. Average and longest sentence, long words and reading time are taken from the same pass.
Measure focus
Second-person versus first-person pronouns, passive constructions, -ly adverbs, hedges, jargon and buzzwords, and how the first sentence opens.
Find the ask
Questions are counted and the closing sentences are matched against call-to-action patterns, from a low-friction interest check to a hard meeting request, then everything is scored.
Why readability decides replies
A cold email is read on a phone, between two other things, by someone who did not ask for it. Every extra clause is a reason to stop. The emails in my clients' sequences that get answered share a shape: under 120 words, sentences you can say in one breath, a first line about the reader rather than the sender, and a closing question that costs almost nothing to answer. The ones that do not get answered are usually well written by normal standards — full paragraphs, proper introductions, a value proposition — and read like a brochure. This tool measures the difference in numbers so you can see it before the campaign, not in the reply rate after.
The metrics and their ranges
Grade level. Flesch–Kincaid estimates the school grade needed to read the text at first pass. Aim for 5 to 8. Executives do not reward complexity; they reward not having to concentrate. Sentence length. Average under 15 words, longest under 25. One long sentence is where most readers drop. You-to-I ratio. Count “you”, “your”, “you're” against “I”, “we”, “my”, “our”, “us”. Below 1:1 the email is about you. Passive voice and adverbs. Both are padding; a cold email can have zero of each. Jargon. “Leverage”, “synergy”, “solution”, “streamline”, “cutting-edge” — recognised instantly as marketing and skimmed. Questions. One or two; a wall of questions is an interrogation. Call to action. The tool distinguishes an interest check (“worth a look?”), a permission ask (“can I send over the two-pager?”), and a meeting request (“do you have 30 minutes Thursday?”). The first two out-perform the third in nearly every sequence I have measured, because they can be answered with one word.
What the score is and is not
The score out of 100 weights length, grade, sentence shape, focus and the ask. It does not judge whether the offer is any good, whether the list is right, or whether the email will land — the spam word checker covers trigger words and the inbox preview shows how the subject and first line are cut. Treat this as a copy editor: it tells you what to shorten and what to turn around, and it will happily give a high score to a short, clear email with nothing to say.
Rewriting from the report
Fix in this order. Cut the email to one idea and delete every sentence that does not serve it. Split any sentence the tool highlights. Rewrite the first line so it starts with them — a thing they did, run or said — not with your name or company. Replace every “we help companies” with what changes for the reader. End with one question. Then run it again; most emails drop two grade levels and gain ten points on the second pass.
Frequently asked questions
What word count should a cold email be?
The first email in a sequence performs best between roughly 50 and 125 words. Follow-ups can be shorter. Over 150 words the reply rate falls steadily; over 250 it collapses.
Is a low grade level not condescending?
No. Grade level measures effort, not intelligence. Plain-English legal and financial writing targets grade 8 for the same reason: busy expert readers prefer text that does not make them work.
Does the tool handle merge tags?
Yes. {{firstName}}, {first_name}, {{company}} and similar are swapped for sample values before counting, so they count as one word each and do not distort sentence length.
Why is a meeting request scored lower than a question?
Because a specific meeting ask forces the reader to check a calendar and commit before they know whether they care. An interest check lets them say yes cheaply, and the meeting follows in the reply. It is a measured effect across many sequences, not a style preference.
Is my copy uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is stored.
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